The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-08-05

oner % the court Of public trial
The secret examination lasts one
year, and sometimes three. Even
when the judge Of a secret examination.
decides to send the case to a public
trial the prisoner can not write 10 his
friends unless he has money So, IN
many cases, he can not obtain the help
Of a lawyer. Thus il is a farce TO say
that the Japanese Government gives a
fair chance to prisoners to defend
themselves before the court of Justice.
The prisoners are deprived Of means of
obtaining legal advice. When they are
permitted TO see their lawyers they
nave to see them in the presence of
two officials, sitting between them.
The prisoner Is not permitted to speak
to his lawyer in a confidential manner.
"As 60 the clothing of the
prisoners. the regulations are most
cruel. Even in severe winter the pris.
oners are not permitted to wear draw
ers or socks, and are compelled TO walk
in naked feet, with thin straw sandals,
Prison clothing Is lent to those who
come to the prison during summer, and
VINO nave no means to communicate
with their friends to have them send
them clothing for winter But il is a
thin gown, made OF cotton, and each
prisoner IL given only one. Three of
these gowns are not enough TO protect
the wearcr from cold. There being no
heating arrangements, the prison is
simply freezing. TIE poor prisoners
are IN most miserable condition dur
ing the winter. 1t is but natural that
prisoners who have a supply of cloth
ing should take pity on their less fortu-
nate fellows and give or lend them
clothing. But if they do they are Sc
vcrely punished, as it is against the
regulations of the prison for prisoners
to lend their property to one another.
Two blankets are supplied to each
prisoner for use as bed-clothing, but
during the daytime they can not be
used in any way TO keep the prisoners
warm. The prisoners arc compelled to
sit on mats, but if they place the blan-
ketS on the mats and sit upon them,
they are punished and the blankets
taken from them. They are not per-
mittcd to write or do any thing to pass
away the time. No writing material is
allowed i'm a cage. If a piece of pencil
is found on the person of prisoner he
is severely punished Whenever per-
mission 10 write a letter Is given a pris-
Oner, he is taken out of his cage to n
room, where he is allowed the use of
paper and ink Books used to be sup
piled, but they are no longer allowed.
But the books, even when they were
supplied, were the books on the Chinese
morality, such as the Book of Con-
fuchs, and were scarcely interesting to
any reader Histories, scientific or
philosophical works were not allowed.
1t is scarcely possible to keep prisoners
from attempting to do something to
pass away the time. Some try to make
network from the paper allowed them
for writing letters, but as soon as they
are found out the paper is taken away
and the prisOners-are punished.
1.-The punishment is what is called
shOkubOtsu, or the punishment of food.
The food of prisoners is generally re-
dueed to one-third, and abe term of
punishmentlasts from one to two weeks.
Food Is given in small quantity ordi-
narily, but " hen n man is subjected to
this punishment it is simply starvation.
If it lasts three days the prisoner can
scarcely walk. Thus, when'a prisoner
is to be punished for more than a week
it is impossible To carry out the SEN
tence without starving him to death.
So, in case Of one weeks punishment,
the ordinary quantity of food is given
one day during the week, and the pun
ishment is carried out in eight days.
J This punishment IS inflicted for slight
Offenses. I know one case of young
man or boy of eighteen years who was
kept in the prison two years Think
/ ing to avail himself of his time to learn
| arithmetic, he made a calculating in
/ strument out of paper and rice which
/ he saved from his seanty food. But
one day he was found out by his
prison-keepers and punished with
] shOkubatsu. The keepers are general
/ ly walking stealthily about before the
cages in order to catch prisoners Vio-
lating the regulations. In eases of
| illness there are doctors who will see
the prisoners. Whenever prisoner
goes to the Doctors, the rule of these
doctors is to say that the prisoners eat
too much, and that thin Cruel must be
given. So the prisoners, for fear of
being starved with weak rice cruel,
conceal their illness until they are dam
gerously sick. When it is a fever that
might infect the other prisoners in the
same cage, the prisoners petition the
Governor to send the sick prisoner to
the prison hospital. Sometimes the
petition is granted, and the prisoner Is
sent to the prison hospital.
but the prison hospital is no better
than the ordinary cages, and is fire.
quently worse, for many sick persons
are crowded into a small space. Some
dying prisoners grOan throughout the
whole night. / was kept in this prison
hospital several weeks. In the same
cage there was "A mad old man. who
was arrested by the japanese author
tiles on suspicion of being an
incendiaTy, as he was standing with n
match in his hand among dirt heaped
up in narrow lane in Toxic. He used
to cry out all night, disturbing the other
prisoners In the cage next to mine
there was another prisoner, who was
kept there for three years, and who
died, grooming all night An insane
prisoner never becomes well in this
hospital, because the keepers tease him
as means Of amusement, and use all
| sorts of means to excite him.
Bathing is permitted to prisoners
twice month; but the bathing is one of
the dirtiest things l ever saw. There is
only one bath place, square wooden
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